Ship salvage equipment



March 3, 1%64 1... E. LiH

SHIP SALVAGE EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 13, 1958 Li/ 5: 17V BY Q FIGJ A7TORNEY arch 3, 1964 L. E. L1H

SHIP SALVAGE EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 15, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVE/VTOR Z elf E, 417? A TTORNEV United States Patent 3,123,036 SHIP SALVAGE EQUIPNIENT Leif E. Lih, 427 15th St, Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed Aug. 13, 1958, Ser. No. 754,818 3 Claims. (Cl. 114-49) This invention relates to ship salvage equipment and specifically it relates to the use of a plurality of tanks or pontoons open at the bottom with associated air-pumping apparatus and remote controlled special valves, by which the raising and lowering of said pontoons may be accurately and carefully regulated as hereinafter described.

The raising of sunken vessels has excited many inventors fancy. While some structures for raising sunken vessels have been practical, in actual use they sufier from one common fault, viz., that they could not properly regulate the raising of the sunken vessel. In most cases the sunken vessel becomes imbedded in the mud of the bottom and it takes an unusually great amount of power to tear it loose. When finally enough power has been applied to loosen the vessel from the bottom, it will begin to rise very rapidly and may be damaged and may also damage the salvage apparatus and auxiliary vessels. The present invention differs from the older art in that a diving bell type of pontoon is used whereby several great advantages are achieved as will be hereinafter shown. In addition to this very important feature, the present invention also differs from the older art in that it is of much simpler construction and can be built and operated at a much lower cost. It also differs from the older art in the use of remote controlled check valves and escape valves by means of which the air content of the pontoons can be quickly controlled and the lifting power of same thereby changed to suit conditions to avoid damage and accidents. A further important advantage is to be found in the use of the pontoons as diving bells in which the divers may rest, eat, and have supplies, tools, as well as comfort facilities, thereby making it unnecessary to surface except at the beginning and end of the working period.

The main object of this invention is to provide salvage equipment which can be operated efiiciently and at low cost and which may be accurately regulated so as to raise the vessel without damage and at any speed desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide an efficient salvage equipment which is of low first cost and which may be easily towed and adapted to small and large jobs as required and may be used over and over again for years.

Another object of my invention is to provide a diving bell type of tank which will house complete facilities for the divers for their use and comfort during working hours.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation showing a sunken vessel at the bottom, a plurality of pontoons embodying the present invention fastened to the sunken vessel, and a salvage vessel on the surface manipulating said pontoons.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of a pontoon such as used in the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom View of same.

FIGURE 4 is a detail showing the driving mechanism of the large escape valve.

FIGURE 5 represents a schematic wiring diagram showing the connection between the switchboard 34, push button station 35 and valve 20.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the valve 21) with its operating mechanism.

In the drawings Where for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1% designates the sunken vessel resting upon bottom 11. A plurality of pontoons are submerged in a position just above the sunken vessel 10, see FIGURE 1. Each of the pontoons 12 carries heavy steel straps 13, which support a centrally located hook 14 which is fastened by large steel wire slings 15 to the sunken vessel It).

The pontoons 12 furthermore have an open extension or collar 16 at the bottom which communicates with the inside of the pontoon and which may be used by divers as an entrance and exit to and from same. Inside the pontoons 12 is provided working space for the divers with work bench, tool cabinet, food container and toilet room. This is possible because the pontoons in most cases may range in size from 500 to 5000 ton displacement. This arrangement makes it easier for the divers to stay down for some time because they do not have to go to the surface.

At the top of the pontoons are provided heavy-duty check valves and remote controlled escape valves 17 and 18. These valves are provided in a steel housing on top of the pontoons 12, see FIGURE 2. The remote controlled valves are operated through the electric cables 19 which also carry power for light, for electric drills, etc. In addition to the check valves and remote controlled escape valves 17 and 18, there is provided one large remote controlled air escape valve which is located near the center of the pontoon. This valve consists of a large diameter vertically mounted pipe 2% which is slidable in a bearing 21 by means of a remote controlled motor contained in box 22 and having pinion 23 with rack 24, see FIGURES 2 and 4. The lower end of the pipe 26 is provided with a conically-shaped flange 25 having a plu rality of slots 26. Concentric with the conically shaped flange 25 and directly below same is mounted a cone 27 which is rigidly supported upon steel structure 23 which is fastened to the pontoon 12, in FIGURE 5 and FIG- URE 6 is illustrated the valve stem 20, driven by pinion 23 on the shaft of motor 23A and connected through cables 19 running over the winch pulley 31 driven by electric motor 31A which is controlled through switchboard 34 by means of the push button station 35. Similarly is shown how the air-hose inlet 17a and 18a is connected to air compressors 33 driven by electric motor 33A which again is also controlled through the switchboard 34. FIGURE 5 furthermore shows how electric power for this operation is generated by the generator 36 driven by the motor 36A with the generator connected to the switch 34. This represents a power supply by means of which the various electrically driven devices mentioned above cooperate to control and regulate the use of the pontoon as desired. It will be seen from FIGURE 5 that the pipe 2% with its bell-shaped lower end 25 in conjunction with the cone 27 represents an effective air valve for quickly letting out large amounts of air from the pontoon E2.

The top of the tank also carries a plurality of air hoses 29 which together with the electric cables 19 lead to the surface ship 30 where winches 31 are provided for lifting and keeping the cables with a suitable slack.

On the surface ship is furthermore provided an instrument board with remote controlled pushbuttons for controlling all the valves. On the surface vessel are furthermore provided large compressors which furnish air through the air hoses 2% to the pontoons 12. These cornpressors are also controlled by pushbuttons from the said instrument board. There is furthermore provided a wired television with remote cameras placed in strategic positions in the tanks and other suitable places whereby the entire operation can be supervised and controlled from the board.

The operation of my invention is as follows: After the size of the sunken vessel and the approximate weight of vessel and cargo have been estimated, a sufficient number of pontoons are selected and towed into position. These pontoons are air tight but are all open at the bottom and are thus actually diving bells and may be used as such by the divers as described supra. The pontoons are connected to their air hoses and electrical cables and these are connected to the winches and air compressors of the salvage vessel 3%) as indicated in FIGURE 1. By remote control of the air escape valves from the central control board, the air in the pontoons may be let out radually and the same will fill with water until they begin to sink. By means of the valves, the air may be pumped in or let out with such precision that the large pontoons may be easily and safely guided into position directly over the vessel to be salvaged. The divers will then hook up the wire sling by either passing cables under the vessel or through portholes, or by other means as may be most expedient in each case.

The operation of the large air escape valve stem is also remote controlled but is at the same time automatic to some extent. The valve stem 20 may be closed entirely by pushin the pipe downward until the conical flange fits snugly over the cone 27. Depending upon the lifting power required, this position may in most cases be below the water level in the pontoon 12. By raising the valve stem 29 until the air pressure in the pontoon is sufiicient to force the air through the slots 26, some of the air will immediately escape and the pontoon will sink a little deeper whereby the water level in same will again rise above the point where air will escape and the valve will thus be sealed olf again. This valve is thus useful to automatically compensate for any sudden releases in pull from the suken vessel such as when the same becomes loose from the bottom and begins to rise. The valve 2% thus acts as a remote adjusted, automatic check Valve and also enables the operator to quickly reduce the air in the pontoon when desired.

After a suificient number of pontoons are placed in operative position as indicated in FIGURE 1, the compressors on board the salvage ship 30 are started and begin to pump air into the pontoons through the hoses 29. The static pressure of the air will gradually force water out through the open bottom 16 of the pontoons and will thus increase the buoyancy of same in proportion to the amount of air pumped by the compressors. The time required for filling the pontoons will depend upon the capacity and the working pressure of the cornpressors and this may be regulated from the instrument panel by the usual well-known means.

As soon as a sufficient amount of air has been pumped into the pontoons to create the buoyancy required to lift the ship from the bottom, the same will begin to rise. If new the pontoons had been ordinary ones, the ship and the pontoons would shoot up with great speed after the ship had been torn loose from the bottom. However, opening 16 in the bottom of the pontoons 12 acts as an automatic regulator. This regulatory action of the opening 16 is due to the fact that as the pontoon rises, the surrounding water pressure becomes lower and the water level in the pontoon is pushed downward by the compressed air. Eventually, the water will be pushed out and air begins to escape. The air in the pontoons is compressed by static pressure of the surrounding water. At 300 feet, for instance, this is approximately ten atmospheres or 147 pounds per square inch. As the pontoon rises to a point near the surface, this static pressure is reduced to as little as 20 pounds per square inch, depending upon the size of the pontoon. Due to the difference in the static pressure, the air in the pontoon will expand and some of this air will escape through the opening 16 thereby equalizing the static pressure to the internal air pressure and simultaneously reducing the buoyancy to some extent. If desired the buoyancy may be further reduced by letting out air by remote control, immediately after the ship has started to leave the bottom. By thus regulating the buoyancy of the pontoons, and thereby the ascent of the ship, the salvage operation may be carried ing in its bottor., said opening having a collar extending downward from the bottom of said pontoon; a heavy hook and sling connecting said pontoon to the ship to be salvaged; a plurality of electric cables connecting each pontoon to winches on board a surface vessel; a plurality of air hoses extending from each pontoon to said surface vessel; a plurality of compressors on board said surface vessel being connected to said air hoses, and a plurality of air-outlet valves being connected to and remotely con trolled by said electric cables.

2. In a ship salvage equipment the combination of a plurality of pontoons, each pontoon having a large opening in its bottom; a surface vessel anchored near said pontoons and having air compressors, electric power supplies, a central control board located on said vessel; electric cables and air hoses connecting said pontoons to said compressors and electric power supplies on the surface vessel and operable by remote means from said central control board; a semi-automatic air escape valve provided near the middle of each pontoon, said escape valve having a large central escape pipe sliding in a bearing at the top of the pontoon and being remotely controlled by means of an electric motor with a rack and pinion drive and connected to said power supplies, said.

pipe having a spherical flange at its lower end, said spherical flange having a plurality of slots, and a closed sphere fitting said spherical flange mounted concentric with same near the bottom of each pontoon.

3. In a ship salvage equipment the combination of a large ponton of the diving bell type having a large opening in its bottom; and electrically operated semi-automatic air-escape valves mounted on said pontoon, said semi-automatic air escape valve having a hollow valve stem and carrying on its lower end a semi-spherical valve member; a fixed valve member, rising from the bottom of said pontoon and having a semi-spherical closure at its upper end, a suitable distance from the bottom of said pontoon; electric cables connecting said electrically operated air-escape valve to a remote power source; air hoses connecting said pontoon to a remote source of compressed air and heavy attaching means whereby said pontoon may be fastened to a sunken vessel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 572,364 Midford Dec. 1, 1896 934,838 Reinier Sept. 21, 1909 1,308,168 Courvoisier July 1, 1919 2,355,086 Lang Aug. 8, 1944 2,372,347 Watson Mar. 27, 1945 2,384,271 Basile Sept. 4, 1945 2,420,384 Shep May 13, 1947 2,519,453 Goodman Aug. 22, 1950 2,526,973 Ryberg Oct. 24, 1950 2,614,518 Carter Oct. 21, 1952 2,667,751 Osborn Feb. 2, 1954 2,720,856 Hoke Oct. 18, 1955 Having thus 

1. IN A SHIP SALVAGE EQUIPMENT THE COMBINATION OF A PLURALITY OF PONTOONS, EACH PONTOON HAVING A LARGE OPENING IN ITS BOTTOM, SAID OPENING HAVING A COLLAR EXTENDING DOWNWARD FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID PONTOON; A HEAVY HOOK AND SLING CONNECTING SAID PONTOON TO THE SHIP TO BE SALVAGED; A PLURALITY OF ELECTRIC CABLES CONNECTING EACH PONTOON TO WINCHES ON BOARD A SURFACE VESSEL; A PLURALITY OF AIR HOSES EXTENDING FROM EACH PONTOON TO SAID SURFACE VESSEL; A PLURALITY OF COMPRESSORS ON BOARD SAID SURFACE VESSEL BEING CONNECTED TO SAID AIR HOSES, AND A PLURALITY OF AIR-OUTLET VALVES BEING CONNECTED TO AND REMOTELY CONTROLLED BY SAID ELECTRIC CABLES. 